DAY 22: Our Judges and the Judicial System 

DAY 22:  Our Judges and the Judicial System 

My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here, please,” while you say to the poor one, “Stand there,” or “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil designs? -James 2:1-4

 

CONSIDER: Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor. Justice toward God is called the “virtue of religion”  Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good.  The just man, often mentioned in the Sacred Scriptures, is distinguished by habitual right thinking and the uprightness of his conduct toward his neighbor.

 

PRAY: Almighty ever-living God, in whose hand lies every human heart and the rights of peoples, look with favor, we pray, on those who govern with authority over us, that the prosperity of peoples, the assurance of peace, the freedom of religion may through your gift be made secure.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

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DAY 21: Foster Care and Adoption

DAY 21:  Foster Care/Adoption 

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”  James 1:27 NLT

CONSIDER: Currently in Union County, We have 51 LOCAL children that are in foster homes. Of these 51, there are 11 children available for adoption. There are only 11 families currently open to foster or adopt. The CALL works with our local church congregations to recruit families for foster care and/or adoption, work to provide the required training, and they provide support as the families are caring for the children.  The CALL operates to provide a path for the local church to accomplish their mission as they care for the children waiting on family. 

PRAY: Father, thank you.  Thank you for stepping into our hurting lives. Thank you for your willingness to embrace pain and help us see the purity of your love. Lord, we pray that we see a movement in our city. We pray that the local body of believers step into the hurting lives of our children and love them regardless.  Lord, we ask that obstacles are cleared and questions are answered. Lord, we pray that NO child has toleave our county simply because we do not have a home for them.  We pray our city can provide more than enough foster homes to ensure that we can have no more waiting children. We pray for the 10 families that have stepped toward the scared and hurting children in our community. We pray that they feel the encouragement and gratitude of the church.  Lord, thank you for showing us the way to serve and love. Lord, thank you for adopting us into your family. We pray every child that is waiting feels the acceptance you have shown us. 

 

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DAY 20: Racial Equality

DAY 20: Racial Equality

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.” –Acts 17:26

 

CONSIDER:  Harmony is the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect.  Our community is a diversity of cultures, races, and beliefs, but when we work together, even though we have many differences, it’s like musical harmony, when many sounds together produce a pleasant symphony.  

 

PRAY: “God, our Father, the creator of all mankind, we thank you that in creating us all you created us in your likeness! We pray that we learn to see you in the faces of our brothers and sisters, not the color of skin. May we be able to know each other by our love! May we recognize that our differences should attract us, not divide us. You created us differently to exemplify your infinite majesty! To prove that your beauty could be found in different places, through different races on different faces! Our differences are beautiful to you, so continue to teach us to learn your heart through every race that you created equally!

 

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DAY 19: Nonprofit Agencies Engaged in Making a Difference in our Community

DAY 19:  Nonprofit Agencies Engaged in Making a Difference in our Community

We exercise the theological virtue of charity whenever we express our love for God, but that expression does not have to take the form of a verbal declaration of love. Sacrifice for God’s sake; the curbing of our passions in order to draw closer to Him; the practice of the spiritual works of mercy in order to bring other souls to God, and the corporal works of mercy to show the proper love and respect for God’s creatures—these, along with prayer and worship, fulfil our duty to “love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind” (Matthew 22:37).   

                  

Like a pebble tossed in a pond, making ripples of what’s to come, WE are making a difference. The greatness and goodness of our community is a blessing. Reaching out to each other, gathering our hope of making El Dorado a Home for everyone is pure joy. Take someone’s friendship and treat it with respect and sincerity.      

                                     

PRAY: Good and gracious God, we recognize all life is a gift and a blessing. We thank You for Your most generous love. Help us to always reverence the sacred space where our donors and our missions meet. Give us joyful spirits, and an eagerness to engage others. Give us hopeful imagination and creative vision, recognizing generosity in even the smallest gift. Give us trusting hearts, knowing that the fruits of labors will be realized long after we are gone. Let us feel Your Presence so that we know we are never truly alone. Remind us always that what we do for the least of our sisters and brothers, we do for You. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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DAY 18: Unity of local churches

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Unity of local churches

“Therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Ephesians 4:1-7

CONSIDER: The writer gives the readers several specific instructions:
1) walk in a worthy manner of the calling with humility, gentleness, patience,
2) while bearing one another in love, and
3) eagerly maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Furthermore, the writer lets us know there is one body, one Spirit, and one hope. This suggests unity without division despite different functions. The body has a purpose, the Spirit has a job, and hope has a role. Although different, they work together. This scripture points to one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and above all, one Father who is inclusive. What a wonderful reminder that our Creator, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit can distinctly function in more than one capacity and yet remain unified. As believers in the Kingdom of God, we may differ in race, denominations, gender, social status, and worship styles. However, we serve the same Lord – placing our faith in Him. We have also been baptized in His Spirit and have a renewed life. If One died for all, all should live in unity for the One, Jesus our Lord!

PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your son, Jesus, to die for all our sins. If it were not for Him, regardless of our various backgrounds, we would be lost forever. Father, we pray for unity amongst pastors and churches irrespective of our denomination and religious affiliations. If there is any divisiveness, forgive, deliver, and help us turn from those ways. We want to live for You in love, peace, and unity with our fellow brothers and sisters. This we pray in Jesus’ mighty and matchless name. Amen.

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DAY 17: Praise of the Holy Spirit

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Praise of the Holy Spirit

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” – Romans 8:26-27 NKJV

CONSIDER: God gives His Spirit to everyone to help us pray. His Spirit knows exactly what to pray in every situation.

PRAY: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Spirit.  We gratefully acknowledge your Spirit’s presence in us. We praise you for always knowing what we need and helping us pray.  We desire to partner with you in interceding for others.  We present ourselves to pray with you for your will to be done. In Jesus name, Amen.

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DAY 16: EMTs and Paramedics

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EMTs and Paramedics

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help and you have healed me. -Psalm 30:2

CONSIDER: Emergency Medical Service providers are often unseen until we are having one of our worst days. For these men and women, their everyday is an assortment of our worst days. Time and time again, they enter into the chaos of pain and fear calmly and carefully. When bad things happen we call out for help, and it is they who show up at our door. While, often, their principal role is to take us safely to healing hands, they do so with a seemingly limitless amount of care and compassion. In those moments of crisis, hands that care offer healing of their own. That care does not come without a cost. Each time they share our pain and fear with care, they take a little bit with them. Those layers add up and weigh heavily upon the hearts and souls of those who show up when we call. These men and women need our prayers and support just as we need their care and compassion. We call out for help, and it is their hands that bear us to healing.

PRAY: God, our Healer and Redeemer, we give thanks for your compassion. Bless all Emergency Medical Service providers through whom we know your care. Give them knowledge, virtue, and patience; strengthen them in their capacity to heal and comfort; and help them to bear the weight of their experience; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

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DAY 15: Local Business Owners

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Local Business Owners

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established” – Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)

CONSIDER: A word of encouragement to our local business owners during these hard economic times: trust in the Lord, and He will help you.

PRAY: Heavenly Father, we ask that you bless the local business owners of union county. We ask that they will seek your council, and that they will conduct their business according to your Word and will. May we remember to help them as they have helped us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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DAY 14: Military  

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Military

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”- Jesus (John 15: 13)

CONSIDER: We recently lost 13 brave U.S. Service Members in Afghanistan. They died to protect us and to carry out our mission overseas. We should never forget the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform so that we can worship freely in the United States. We are blessed to live in a nation that has freedom of religion, and we have that right because of a military that keeps us free.

PRAY: Father, we pray for protection of our U.S. military. We pray that they will serve our county with honor, and return home safety. We pray for the families and friends of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to our county. May they find peace and love in knowing we appreciate their love ones sacrifice, and knowing that you have a plan for all.

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DAY 13: Those in Poverty 

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Those in Poverty 

“All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”  – Paul in Galatians 2:10 (NIV)

CONSIDER: The need for believers to care for the poor is a constant theme in Scripture. But often we do nothing, caught up in meeting our own needs and desires. Perhaps we don’t see enough poverty to remember the needs of the poor. The world is filled with poor people, here and in other countries. What can you do to help?

PRAY: Dear Heavenly Father help us to remember the poor of our community and may we find ways to help those in poverty. May we learn to be blessings to those less fortunate than ourselves. Open our eyes to the needs around us so we may share the blessings, you have given us. AMEN

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